A classical soundtrack for your morning
Georgia Mann plays the best in classical music, with discoveries and surprises rubbing shoulders with familiar favourites.
Georgia Mann plays the best classical music for your morning, with discoveries and surprises rubbing shoulders with familiar favourites. Including the Playlister challenge: our regular listener-created sequence inspired by a different piece of music each day. Plus a new classical release in focus for Album of the Week.
1000 Playlister starter: listen and send us your ideas for the next step in today's musical journey. Text 83111 or email essentialclassics@bbc.co.uk.
1030 Album of the Week: an exciting new classical release in focus throughout the week.
1115 Playlister reveal: an uninterrupted sequence of music suggested by you in response to today's starter piece.
1200 Feast of a Piece: indulge your ears with an orchestral masterpiece.
To listen on most smart speakers, say "Ask BBC Sounds to play Essential Classics”.
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Music Played
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Franz Schubert
Symphony no.3 in D major D.200 (4th mvt)
Orchestra: Freiburg Baroque Orchestra. Conductor: Pablo Heras‐Casado.- Schubert: Symphonies Nos. 3 and 4.
- Harmonia Mundi.
- 4.
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Maurice Ravel
Piano Trio in A minor (1st mvt)
Ensemble: The Florestan Trio.- Hyperion.
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Joaquín Rodrigo
Concierto Serenata (Estudiantina)
Performer: Nicanor Zabaleta. Orchestra: Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin. Conductor: Ernst Märzendorfer.- DG.
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George Frideric Handel
Rinaldo - Aria "Lascia ch'io pianga"
Singer: Sandrine Piau. Ensemble: Les Paladins. Conductor: Jérôme Corréas.- ALPHA.
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Nino Rota
8 1/2 (Otto e mezzo): Suite - 6. Passerella d'addio
Orchestra: La Scala Philharmonic. Conductor: Riccardo Chailly.- Decca.
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Clara Schumann
3 Romances Op.11 (no.3 in A flat major)
Performer: Isata Kanneh‐Mason.- Romance – The Piano Music of Clara Schumann.
- Decca.
- 6.
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Antonio Vivaldi
Sinfonia in D major RV.125
Ensemble: Accademia dell’Annunciata. Conductor: Riccardo Doni.- Arcana.
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Philip Glass
Violin Concerto no.1 (2nd mvt)
Performer: Gidon Kremer. Orchestra: Vienna Philharmonic. Conductor: Christoph von Dohnányi.- 111 Years Of Deutsche Grammophon The Collector's Edition Vol.2.
- Deutsche Grammophon.
- 2.
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Franz Lehár
Schön wie die blaue Sommernacht (from Giuditta)
Singer: Nikola Hillebrand. Singer: Jonas Kaufmann. Orchestra: Magyar Állami Operaház zenekara. Conductor: Dirk Kaftan.- SONY CLASSICAL.
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Samuel Coleridge-Taylor
Clarinet Quintet in F sharp minor, Op. 10: I. Allegro energico
Performer: Klaus Hampl. Ensemble: Quartetto di Roma.- Coleridge-Taylor & Ben-Haim: Clarinet Quintets.
- Naxos.
- 101.
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Mikhail Ivanovich Glinka
Souvenir d'une nuit d'été à Madrid
Orchestra: BBC Philharmonic Orchestra. Conductor: Vassily Sinaisky.- Chandos.
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Astor Piazzolla
Libertango
Music Arranger: Luis Bacalov. Performer: Luis Bacalov. Performer: Héctor Ulises Passarella. Orchestra: Orchestra of the Academy of Santa Cecilia, Rome. Conductor: Myung-Whun Chung.- Bacalov: Misa Tango: Domingo, Martinez, Bacalov, Chung.
- Deutsche Grammophon.
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Chiara Margarita Cozzolani
Laudate pueri
Ensemble: Cappella Artemisia. Director: Candace Smith.- I Vespri Natalizi (1650).
- Tactus.
- 011.
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Nino Rota
Legend of the Glass Mountain (The Glass Mountain)
Orchestra: Prague Philharmonic Orchestra.- SILVA SCREEN.
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Maury Yeston
Unusual Way (from the musical Nine)
Singer: Nicole Kidman.- Nine.
- Geffen.
- 9.
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Erik Satie
Parade (Finale)
Orchestra: Orchestre de chambre des Concerts Lamoureux. Conductor: Yutaka Sado.- L'Orchestre de Satie.
- Erato.
- 008.
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Gustav Holst
Jupiter, Bringer of Jollity (The Planets Op.32)
Music Arranger: Stephen Roberts. Ensemble: Black Dyke Band. Conductor: Nicholas Childs.- NAXOS.
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Elfrida Andrée
Fritiof's Infatuation (Fritiof Suite)
Orchestra: Stockholm Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: Gustaf Sjökvist.- Sterling.
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Orazio Benevoli
Missa Dum complerentur: II. Gloria
Ensemble: I Fagiolini. Conductor: Robert Hollingworth.- Benevoli: Missae Angelus Domini & Dum complerentur.
- CORO.
- 9.
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Thomas Adès
Les tours de passe-passe (3 Studies from Couperin)
Orchestra: Chamber Orchestra of Europe. Conductor: Thomas Adès.- Ades: Tevot; Violin Concerto etc..
- EMI Classics.
- 6.
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Claude Debussy
En Bateau (Petite Suite)
Performer: Steven Osborne. Performer: Paul Lewis.- Hyperion.
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Aaron Copland
Appalachian Spring (extract)
Orchestra: Orpheus Chamber Orchestra.- DG.
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Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Serenade for Winds No. 11 (3rd mvt)
Ensemble: Bläserensemble Sabine Meyer.- Mozart: Serenades for Winds No. 11, K. 375 & No. 12, K. 388 "Nachtmusik".
- Warner Classics.
- 4.
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Louise Farrenc
Symphony No 3 in G minor, Op 36 (1st mvmt, Adagio - Allegro)
Orchestra: Orchestre national de Metz. Conductor: David Reiland.- Compositrices: New Light on French Romantic Women Composers.
- Bru Zane.
- 1.
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Johann Sebastian Bach
English Suite No 3 in G minor, BWV 808 (Sarabande)
Performer: John Henry.- The Harpsichord: John Henry.
- Victoria.
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Giuseppe Verdi
La forza del destino (Overture)
Orchestra: The Cleveland Orchestra. Conductor: Lorin Maazel.- Overtures: Cleveland Orchestra/Maazel.
- I.M.P..
- 1.
Broadcast
- Monday09:30BBC Radio 3

